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Deadsmell
Deadsmell was a mage in Sergeant Balm's 9th squad of Medium infantry in the 8th Legion of the Malaz 14th Army. He was the squad's healer, and had access to High Denul. His name likely came from his musty odor.The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.278 In House of Chains Deadsmell was part of Adjunct Tavore Paran's punitive expedition against the Army of the Apocalypse. On the road from Aren to Raraku, his squad had done their share of the fighting, and their names were well known amongst the other soldiers in the legion.House of Chains, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.711 In The Bonehunters After the Battle of Raraku, Leoman led the Army of the Apocalypse westward to Y'Ghatan and the 14th Army followed. Upon reaching the outskirts of the city, Deadsmell, Throatslitter, and Widdershins settled in for a game of Troughs. Sergeant Balm, pessimistic of their chances, went off to create his death-mask.The Bonehunters, Chapter 6, US SFBC p.239 In the hours before the Last Siege of Y'Ghatan, Balm engaged Moak in a game of Troughs, but soon became overwhelmed by "the Confusion". He knocked over the board, unclear who he was and what he was doing. Deadsmell led his sergeant to safety from an angry Moak while congratulating Balm on a clever ruse for ending a losing game. Balm could not respond because he no longer understood what language Deadsmell was speaking.The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.278-279 Adjunct Tavore launched the attack on Y'Ghatan by sending the army's sappers to breach the city's wall under the cover of night. First into the city were the Malazan marines, followed quickly by the heavy and medium infantry. Once inside the city, the Malazans immediately came under attack from swordsmen on the ground and archers in the buildings above them.The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.287-295 Balm's squad pushed forward well beyond the other Malazan troops and took cover in a building filled with bolts of silk. While Galt and Lobe watched the street from the windows, Deadsmell, Throatslitter, and Widdershins went to investigate a noise upstairs. The three soldiers discovered the walls of the entire building had been filled with olive oil. Realising what Leoman meant to do, Balm's squad attempted to report their findings to Fist Keneb. But it was too late. When enough Malazans were engaged in street fighting inside the city, Leoman sprung his trap. The city's olive oil-soaked buildings were set alight and the streets quickly became an inferno.The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.301-303 Fleeing from the flames, they soon joined a mixed group of survivors from Hellian's, Fiddler's, Cord's, and Gesler's squads, who made their way to the Temple of the Queen of Dreams.The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.307-309/316 Deadsmell was among the small group of soldiers who survived Y'Ghatan by tunneling their way out from under the city. They spent three days crawling on their hands and knees through the dark led by Bottle and his rat.The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.368/370 During the ordeal, Deadsmell and a panicking Balm quarreled over Balm's verbal abuse of a refugee child. The corporal vowed, "if I was that child ahead of you, I'd shit right in your face."The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.334-335/368/370 In Reaper's Gale (Information needed) In Dust of Dreams He had necromantic skills, acquired in his youth in the village of Gethran prior to his military service. He was a user of Hood's Warren.The Crippled God, Chapter 4, UK HB p.111 (Information needed) In The Crippled God After the apparent death of Hood, Deadsmell gained access to Omtose Phellack, an elder Warren, which allowed him to heal Adjunct Tavore Paran after the Bonehunters' disastrous encounter with the K'Chain Nah'ruk. Other healers could not help her because of the presence of her otataral sword, but Deadsmell was able to use his newly accessible Warren. In doing so, he gained disturbing insight into the Adjunct. History Growing up, the boy who would become known as Deadsmell was described as "half-wild" and terrorized by his four older sisters. He often took refuge with Old Scez, the village dresser of the dead, essentially becoming his apprentice. When Deadsmell was seventeen, Scez was murdered by a jealous husband and the boy then took over his duties. At the age of nineteen, when the local priest of Fener, Hester Vill, suffered a stroke, it was Deadsmell who attended him in his final hours. Waiting for Fener to come and take the priest, the boy was surprised to witness not the Boar of War, but the Lord of the Slain, Hood, coming for the dead man. Hood then declared that Deadsmell could be one of "his own" and offered him the gift of "the end of fear". It was thus that the young man began his service to the God of Death.Dust of Dreams, Chapter 9, US HC p.282-284 Notes and references Category:Bonehunters Category:Corporals Category:Denul mages Category:Humans Category:Mages Category:Malazans Category:Males Category:Necromancers Category:Quon Talians Category:Soldiers Category:Y'Ghatan survivor (underground) Category:Hood's Path mages Category:Medium infantry